Mate

There are not many things I miss about the US (I'm only here for 4.5 months, not enough time to miss things [I said THINGS and not people, chill out]). However, coffee is one of these things. I usually drink 2-3 cups a day from my large thermos I carry around (thank you Donna Watz). 

Uruguayans drink mate. Or, to be more technical about this, they drink hierba (herb) from a mate (the cup). It's a bitter tea that comes with it's own special cup and a straw. I have not been able to fully commit to it:

1. You must buy a special cup and cure it. That's already 2 steps too many. 
2. You fill the cup with herb and drink from a metal straw that strains out the herb. The straw is too hot for me. Allegedly, there was a time in which the straws were made of glass. However, people became disgusted when they realized they could see the saliva of everyone they shared mate with, so metal straws became popular. 
3. The real reason: the cups are not very large. The Uruguayan solution? Carry a huge thermos of hot water at all times so you can refill the cup at any point during the day. Many Uruguayans walk the streets with an open cup of hot liquid in one hand, and a large thermos under the other arm. I am already prone to spilling hot liquid from my double sealed coffee thermos; there is no way I have the grace to carry a mate cup with me everyday.

Despite the awkwardness of carrying it around. Uruguayans seem to love it, and drink just as much as North Americans tend to drink coffee. It is a cultural institution here and in Argentina. But they are weak in Argentina. They don't carry a thermos. 

A ridiculous number of mate cups 

Mate Carrier. These are surprisingly rare.

That is an entire aisle of herb for mate.

80 degrees at the beach? Perfect time for mate.
That is my Bolivian-ecuadorian roommate enjoying an Uruguayan friend's mate.

Coffee is such a special occasion that they gave me a water, juice, and an alfajor (local cookie).